change
and gold. The Transnational issues category has a new Refugees and
internally displaced persons entry. Revision of some individual country
maps, first introduced in the 2001 edition, is continued in this
edition. Several regional maps have also been updated to reflect
boundary changes and place name spelling changes.

Abbreviations
This information is included in Appendix A: Abbreviations, which
includes all abbreviations and acronyms used in the Factbook, with
their expansions.

Acronyms
An acronym is an abbreviation coined from the initial letter of each
successive word in a term or phrase. In general, an acronym made up
solely from the first letter of the major words in the expanded form is
rendered in all capital letters (NATO from North Atlantic Treaty
Organization; an exception would be ASEAN for Association of Southeast
Asian Nations). In general, an acronym made up of more than the first
letter of the major words in the expanded form is rendered with only an
initial capital letter (Comsat from Communications Satellite
Corporation; an exception would be NAM from Nonaligned Movement).
Hybrid forms are sometimes used to distinguish between initially
identical terms (WTO: WTrO for World Trade Organization and WToO for
World Tourism Organization.)

Administrative divisions
This entry generally gives the numbers, designatory terms, and first-
order administrative divisions as approved by the US Board on
Geographic Names (BGN). Changes that have been reported but not yet
acted on by BGN are noted.

Age structure
This entry provides the distribution of the population according to
age. Information is included by sex and age group (0-14 years, 15-64
years, 65 years and over). The age structure of a population affects a
nation's key socioeconomic issues. Countries with young populations
(high percentage under age 15) need to invest more in schools, while
countries with older populations (high percentage ages 65 and over)
need to invest more in the health sector. The age structure can also be
used to help predict potential political issues. For example, the rapid
growth of a young adult population unable to find employment can lead
to unrest.

Agriculture - products
This entry is an ordered listing of major crops and products starting
with the most important.

Airports
This entry gives the total number of airports. The runway(s) may be
paved (concrete or asphalt surfaces) or unpaved (grass, dirt,